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Testing at the Source: California Readies a Groundbreaking Hunt to Check for Microplastics in Drinking Water

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Western Water)by Nick Cahill Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Tiny pieces of plastic shed from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water. After years of planning, California this year is embarking on a first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water sources and help regulators determine whether they are a public health threat.

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Snowpack Rising: Good Water News for Now, but Lake Mead Unlikely to See a Difference

/in , , /by /8 News Nowby Greg Haas

Snow is forecast every day this week in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, and snowpack levels have climbed to nearly 150% as warmer spring temperatures near.

It could be the winter we remember as one of the bright spots in a drought that defined the past two decades in the Colorado River Basin.

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After 14 Atmospheric Rivers, How Full Are California’s Reservoirs?

/in , , /by /KTLA 5by Tori Gaines

As wet weather has continued to impact California, some reservoirs across the state are being managed with scheduled releases of water to prevent flooding, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

After 14 atmospheric rivers hit back-to-back this winter, reservoirs began filling quickly. Though most of the major reservoirs aren’t full yet, several are significantly higher than they have been historically. This is especially true in Central California at the Don Pedro, Camanche and Oroville reservoirs, KTLA sister station KRON reports.

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California Storms: Lake Shasta Now Three-Quarters Full as Rains Bring It Closer to Top

/in , , /by /Record Searchlightby David Benda

After a relatively dry February, the spigot has turned back on over the North State, thanks to a series of late-winter storms in March that have brought water levels up at Lake Shasta to almost 40 feet from its crest.

The lake — the state’s largest reservoir — has risen 8 feet over the past week and more than 100 feet since Dec. 1, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation numbers show.

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No Telling How Much More Snow Coming for Sierra Nevada

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Scott Sonner

No one really knows how much snow fell on the infamous Donner Party when the pioneers were trapped atop the Sierra Nevada for months and dozens died near Lake Tahoe in the winter of 1846-47.

But this season has now etched its way into the history books as the second snowiest in the 77 years of record-keeping at the Central Sierra Snow Lab — more than 56.4 feet (677 inches, 17.2 meters) with no end in sight.

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DWR Reduces Outflows From Lake Oroville

/in , /by /Enterprise-Record

The California Department of Water Resources announced Monday that it slowed outflows from Lake Oroville from 35,000 cubic feet per second to 27,500 cfs.

According to a press release issued Monday by DWR, the reduction began at 6 p.m. Monday.

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Biden May Prevail Against Navajo in SCOTUS Water Battle

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Pamela King and Jennifer Yachnin

The Supreme Court on Monday appeared closely divided on whether to side with the Navajo Nation in the tribe’s high-stakes fight against the Biden administration and four states to protect its right to water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.

While the court could decide the case on narrow procedural grounds, some of the more moderate conservative justices questioned whether a ruling for the Navajo would obligate the federal government to build a vast network of pipelines and pumps to deliver water to the tribe or upset the delicate balance struck by the 40 million people who rely on the massive waterway that travels among seven states and Mexico.

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Near Miss; Atmospheric River Shifts Toward Southern California

/in , , /by /CBS Bay Area

After weeks of atmospheric rivers slamming into Northern California, triggering flooding and landslides, the jet stream has shifted the latest blast of subtropical moisture toward Southern California, forecasters said.

But it won’t be a complete miss on Tuesday. The northern edge of the river will bring moderate rain to parts of the Bay Area and 2 inches or more to the waterlogged Santa Cruz Mountains and the flooded communities in Monterey County.

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El Niño Expected to Develop Later in the Year, NOAA Says

/in , , /by /ABC 10 Newsby Brody Adams and Brenden Mincheff

La Niña is finally over after three years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This winter has not acted like a typical La Niña winter with California getting drenched, especially in Southern California where La Niña typically signals a drier than average winter.

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NOAA Spring Outlook: California Drought Cut by Half with More Relief to Come

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby NOAA

NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook indicates the abnormally wet winter will further improve drought across much of the western U.S. as the snowpack melts in the coming months. Winter precipitation, combined with recent storms, wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020, and is expected to further improve drought conditions this spring.

Significant flooding in the western U.S., especially in California, followed another series of strong Pacific storms that battered the region in March, and piled on to an already historic snowpack.

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